Where Does The Iphone Go From Here?

There is definitely a strong sense among users that the AppleiPhone just keeps getting better while others continue to attempt to force the iPhone into a technological vortex. With the release of the iPhone 4, Apple has elevated the capabilities of this little smartphone device with a host of new features. The iPhone 4 brandishes dual cameras, Face Time video chat, multitasking functionality and enhanced Hosted Exchange Email. The most recent update to the iOS 4, version 4.2, includes wireless printing via AirPrint, AirPlay for wireless streaming of music, videos and photos, as well as many, many other enhancements.

The iPhone email interface has been updated and reorganized. The user is now capable of viewing all email through one inbox and can see email responses through a thread-like arrangement. The iPhone Exchange Email functions continue to support Exchange ActiveSync accounts, and now allows for configuration of more than one Hosted Exchange account.

While the iPhone 4 has been shown to exercise its technological prowess via the AT&T networks, the Android and Blackberry users are hot on its track. Much to their credit both the Android and Blackberry provide various models of their smartphones to all network providers. Therefore, there are an increasing number of Android and Blackberry users.

The capabilities of the iPhone are also spreading to other smartphones as well. For example, FaceTime is a video chat function that utilizes both of the phone's cameras and a Wi-Fi connection to create a live chat. Users can use the front camera for "face-to-face" chatting as well as switching to the rear camera to include views of their immediate locations. The same video chatting function is available on some Android phones serviced by T-Mobile and does not require the Wi-Fi connection. This puts the iPhone into a very uncomfortable position with its users.

More recently there is an audible hum of rumors circulating about the possibility of an iPhone 5. Apple and Verizon have publicly announced the beginnings of their relationship with the iPad Tablet. This relationship can quickly bloom into something more with an iPhone created just for Verizon. Many bloggers and techno-geeks have begun an intense speculation on whether this will be the true introduction of the iPhone 5 or if Apple will introduce something like an iPhone 4.5 that will have the ability to work on the Verizon network and still have all of the iOS4 capabilities.

But despite all the rumors and speculation, the iPhone 4 will continue to have lots of competition from the Android, Blackberry and the new Windows mobile smartphones in the coming year.